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fandomhigh2013-11-26 12:53 am
sharp_as_knives) wrote in fandomhigh2013-11-26 12:53 am
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Beginning Gourmet Cooking Techniques | Tuesday, 1st Period
This morning, when the students arrived at the Danger Shop, they found it configured not into cooking stations, but into computer desks. Which were tasteful, well-appointed wood, because if you were going to the trouble of creating the things, why bother with making it look cheap?
"Part of cooking a meal," Hannibal said when they were settled, "happens nowhere near the kitchen. There are a number of considerations before and after you cook, to make a meal successfully. We'll be covering several of those to round out the semester. Today, planning."
He suspected some of his students had a bit more forethought than others.
"There are a number of things you must take into account when planning any meal." He held up his fingers to tick them off. "The first two are time, and skill." He eyed them and nodded. "The less you have of one, the more you will need of the other. So - how much time will you need to make a meal? Always overestimate if you're at all uncertain, and leave yourself some leeway in case of unforeseen circumstances."
He held up another finger. "Ingredients. What does your budget allow for, what can be gotten in the time you have allotted, and when can you get it? Don't plan for out-of-season produce; even if you can get it, it's unlikely to be as good. Don't buy things too far in advance of your meal, or they may spoil. Don't plan for one very expensive dish if it means you won't have money for any others.
"Plan for things that go nicely together, not flavors that will clash or fight for dominance," he advised. "Also, try to remember you're likely to be cooking several things at once. Unless you have help, avoid more than one dish that needs to be closely observed, or more oven-baked dishes than can fit in your oven at once."
He looked around once more to make sure they understood, then nodded. "So. Today, you won't be cooking at all. Today, you will be planning a meal. In honor of the American holiday coming up, let us say it's a large one. Research recipes, ingredients, whatever you need." He waved at the computers. "Then present to me a meal for twenty that you would be capable of executing given one week's planning. I want to see a list of dishes, recipes for each, a shopping list, and a description of how you would carry it off - whether you give me that last in descriptive prose, video clip, or animated 3-D rendering is unimportant; I will be grading on logistics rather than innovation.
"And as always, please ask if you have questions."
"Part of cooking a meal," Hannibal said when they were settled, "happens nowhere near the kitchen. There are a number of considerations before and after you cook, to make a meal successfully. We'll be covering several of those to round out the semester. Today, planning."
He suspected some of his students had a bit more forethought than others.
"There are a number of things you must take into account when planning any meal." He held up his fingers to tick them off. "The first two are time, and skill." He eyed them and nodded. "The less you have of one, the more you will need of the other. So - how much time will you need to make a meal? Always overestimate if you're at all uncertain, and leave yourself some leeway in case of unforeseen circumstances."
He held up another finger. "Ingredients. What does your budget allow for, what can be gotten in the time you have allotted, and when can you get it? Don't plan for out-of-season produce; even if you can get it, it's unlikely to be as good. Don't buy things too far in advance of your meal, or they may spoil. Don't plan for one very expensive dish if it means you won't have money for any others.
"Plan for things that go nicely together, not flavors that will clash or fight for dominance," he advised. "Also, try to remember you're likely to be cooking several things at once. Unless you have help, avoid more than one dish that needs to be closely observed, or more oven-baked dishes than can fit in your oven at once."
He looked around once more to make sure they understood, then nodded. "So. Today, you won't be cooking at all. Today, you will be planning a meal. In honor of the American holiday coming up, let us say it's a large one. Research recipes, ingredients, whatever you need." He waved at the computers. "Then present to me a meal for twenty that you would be capable of executing given one week's planning. I want to see a list of dishes, recipes for each, a shopping list, and a description of how you would carry it off - whether you give me that last in descriptive prose, video clip, or animated 3-D rendering is unimportant; I will be grading on logistics rather than innovation.
"And as always, please ask if you have questions."
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(Zhari)
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Listen to the lecture, ask questions
Re: Listen to the lecture, ask questions
In fact, even after Hannibal stopped talking she took a while to get started. She had no real computer skills to speak of, because it wasn't really something Shadowhunters needed in their day to day lives.
Just finding Google was going to be an adventure, but she was determined to figure all this out on her own.
Re: Listen to the lecture, ask questions
Of course, it was tempting to try and hack Facebook again, just for fun. He refrained, for the most part. At least he didn't feel as murderous and angry as he had yesterday.
Re: Listen to the lecture, ask questions
Eat Hannibal's food
Re: Eat Hannibal's food
But a whole marshmallow all at once? That, he was totally going to do.
Re: Eat Hannibal's food
Re: Eat Hannibal's food
Talk to Hannibal!
Talk to the TAs!
Re: Talk to the TAs!
Adding 'cheap and fast' to the start of his Google searches was a big help.
Re: Talk to the TAs!
And Sholeh, who knew the most about computers so far.
By ten minutes in, she had enough recipes to feed two hundred and was going to have to spend a lot of time paring it down to something affordable.
She wondered if adding 'raiding the professor's herb garden' counted as a grocery list.
OOC!